"Don't say that my love. He's only trying to put me up against you. The truth is, he had asked me to choose between you and my inheritance."Ariana had known this already. She had in fact listened to the whole conversation. She stood by the door of Calhoun's office eavesdropping on them. She couldn't believe her ears. Calhoun chose her over his inheritance? Was there any man who could do that? But this was not any man. Ariana stopped what she was doing and went over to Calhoun. She held out his arms and placed them around her. They both looked into each other's eyes. "I know how difficult it was to have made that decision," Ariana's voice was soft and gentle. "But I think you should really think it over again. If you let me go, you'll have nothing to lose-"Calhoun pressed his finger gently over her mouth before she could finish her speech. "Don't you understand what's happening?" Calhoun said, "it's us against them, against the whole world. I'm not going to leave you simply becaus
The Lawson's second mansion was a sight to behold. The automatic sensor gates that opened up as the car drove in revealing the gigantic trees that waylayed side by side was intimidating enough. Straight ahead was a beautifully sculptured fountain. Some birds played around but flew off as soon as the car approached. The building itself, a three storey tower, was a palace with no visible guards. There were CCTV cameras almost everywhere. Some were noticeable, others, probably most, were not.When Ariana had gone for the family dinner the last time, it was a different house.The guards, Ariana would come to understand, where somewhere in a room, watching the going in and out of everyone. There were two always on duty, and two others who switched shifts. Their duty was to monitor movements and report suspicions to the base, where a team of armed, trained and ever ready men were on alert. The security men needn't worry much. There was hardly any external threat to security. This was beca
"Babe, You said you were going to take me back to the kitchen!" She whined as Calhoun pulled her towards the tree house. It was beautiful but the idea of having to go up the old wodden ladder scared her. What if one of the steps broke off while they were on it?"Calhoun!" She shrieked as she felt her legs leave the ground. "What are you doing?"Calhoun had lifted her into his arms so they could go faster. "Making you stop whining like a little baby," he said tickling her sides in the process. Ariana broke into a laugh as she playfully hit him on the back."Calhoun you are too old for this!" She said amidst laughter."I can never get old as long as I have you."They had gotten to the ladder and Calhoun went up with Ariana clutching unto his shoulders like her life depended on it. She still didn't trust the old little thing. It looked like it could fall apart in any minute.Fortunately such a thing didn't happen as Calhoun successfully took them to the final landing. He placed Ariana on
"How about your uncles?" Ariana asked brushing off thoughts of Lily and her sons away from her mind."Well, there's uncle Benson who is married to Lily and then uncle Thomas.""Who should I run from?" Ariana joked. It sounded like a joke and she might have even meant for it to sound like a joke but she was really paying attention to the details he was passing on to her."Highest on the list is definitely Uncle Benson. He is Lily's husband," Calhoun explained."So Lily isn't your blood relative? Whoa..." Ariana wanted to ask why Lily commanded her husband and acted like the head of the family but she decided to hold her tongue. The last thing she needed was for someone to overhear their conversations. She wouldn't want grandfather to hear her speak of things that were none of her business."No, she isn't. She married into the family."Somewhere within the expanse of the large mansion, Lily watched the young lovers from one of the back windows with disdain in her eyes. Calhoun, the boy
"Let's better get back to the house," Calhoun suggested, "by now grandfather must have been out of his study."Ariana took a final glance at the tree house as Calhoun held her hand, leading them down the rickity-rackity ladder. God knew how the housemaids got into the tree house to get it all cleaned up."Let's take a quick detour." Calhoun grinned as he led Ariana through to a garden where flowers flourished and grasses were ever green, even at summertime. The ground was soft and the air was different. Fresh."You're too slow," Calhoun called out and began to pace ahead like a child. Ariana smiled gayly. She knew what he was doing. She huddled up behind him trying to catch up. But Calhoun was too fast for her.Calhoun would turn and look backwards as he jogged through the garden. He did this so he could catch a glimpse of Ariana's hair floating in the wind and her shirt rising and falling, revealing her belly button as it did so.Calhoun saw that she couldn't catch up so he slowed do
"I can't go alone. You have to come with me!" Calhoun was saying as he paced around the room. Ariana remained silent. She was lost in thoughts of her own and she had no reply to give Calhoun yet."If I have to go for this business trip, then you have to come with me. I can't leave you here all alone?" He repeated, as he came to stand right in front of her. He tilted her head upward so he could stare deep into her eyes.How could his grandfather not see the love he had in his heart for Ariana? Or the love Ariana had in her eyes for him?"Ariana, pack up," he said with determination in his voice. He had made up his mind and he wouldn't go back on it. He couldn't leave Ariana alone with his family. Only the heavens could tell what they would do to her in his absence!But as he moved towards the wardrobe they had finished unpacking their clothes in earlier, he felt Ariana's soft fingers resist his pull. He turned back with a questioning glare dancing on his face. His gaze moved from her f
Ariana wasn't sure she would survive the days ahead in the Lawson's resident anymore.It was just two days after Calhoun had left for the business trip grandfather had sent him too and the problems were already starting to gather in their numbers."I left my credit card in the kitchen and I can't find it anymore!" Matt, Calhoun's cousin yelled that afternoon.The entire family, including Ariana were all seated in the dinning having lunch when Matt burst in and started screaming about his credit card."Matt, first learn to greet before you start throwing accusations besides can't you see we have a guest?" Grandmother scolded him but his eyes were burning with so much anger none of her words could tame them."What guest?" Lilly scoffed from her side of the table and her husband snickered.Ariana, who had been trying to pay less attention to the embarrassing situation raised her head from her barely touched plate and saw that the entire family were staring back at her. She was confused.
Bianca and Grandmother were already making to get on their feet as Elsie mentioned the camera when Lily shrieked."Matt!"Everyone stopped their movement and turned towards Lily. Even she didn't know what she was up to, but she had to stall the time long enough for one of her boys to wipe out that video. Ariana had not taken the credit card and she had totally forgotten about the cameras."What?" Matt growled."Did you perhaps check you room before coming to accuse the poor girl?" She said changing her tone to be somewhat sympathetic.Elsie got up and folded her arms across her chest. "What game are you playing at Lily?"Lily slapped a hand to her chest and turned towards Elsie, "games? You call this games?" She cried out. "The poor girl is being accused and i am trying to sort it amicably and yiu consider it to be games?"The wheels of the whole situation was changing and Ariana wasn't sure she could keep up anymore. What exactly was going on? Was Lily really being sympathetic toward
(EPILOGUE)A soft knock resonated against Lim and Laura's bedroom door. Laura was in the bathroom and she had left Lim still sprawled on the bed with their handsome son.She expected him to have answered the door but when the knock resonated again, she hurriedly rinsed off the soap from her body and hurried out of the bathroom with a towel sparsely tied around her body."Lim, didn't you hear the door?" She hissed as she made her way to the door."I pay them to handle things in the house not bring every little thing to me... I am tired..." He mumbled softly against his son's head.Laura couldn't help but roll her eyes. Lim was a changed person but sometimes he couldn't help but be cruel at the smallest of things.She ignored him and went to pull the door open. There was her maid standing with her head lowered to the floor."I am sorry for disturbing your afternoon ma'am but the driver taking you to the venue is here... You said I should let you know..."Laura smiled. "Oh, thank you so
LOST IN YOUR ARMS: (NEW)"Laura, you need to eat more," Jasmine said as she kept filling the plate with more beef meatballs. But Laura never paid her any attention. Her advice was like extra water to an ocean.For the past three days, she had become a food monster. She couldn't do anything without eating. She even woke up early in the morning to get food from the kitchen. Was that how pregnancy changed women? To night thieves?"Don't you think you'll turn her into a fatty?" Charles asked. He was sitting on the other side of the dining table with Dennis."That's none of your business! She is pregnant and she needs to eat more!" Jasmine retorted."Whatever..." Charles rolled his eyes and turned to Dennis, who was busy biting off his meatballs with both hands like a hungry lion. When he noticed that his hands were stained with the stew from the food, he dropped the fork in his hands and started licking his fingers.Charles got irritated by this and made pulled up a scowl that said exact
Marcus opened his eyes and the first thing that welcomed him was darkness. He looked around, desperate to see the surrounding he was in but it was difficult to see through the darkness. He should have known that Lim had a mind of his own. As far as he could remember, back in the abandoned house, he heard the sirens of the police cars outside. Wondering if Lim was ready to damage the family's reputation name by exposing them to the public as kidnappers. At first, that was what he thought but to his disappointment, the little boy had another plan.After the police left and they got moved, he became deeply concerned with what Lim was going to do to him and Thomas. Maybe being exposed to the police was going to be a better option.Fear suddenly cupped him. He became edgy like a psychopath. He had to free himself at all costs before the devil laid a hand on him.Just as he was about to move, he found out he was cuffed against a chair. "Fuck! I'm tied!" He grumbled in frustration. Then,
The police officer's eyes were strained on Lim's injured arm. He was eager to help in any way that he could but Lim waved him off."Don't worry, it is just a mere scratch. My woman is more important now. I need to leave.""Alright, sir!" The police officer saluted again.Lim turned to Charles and gestured to him, using an eye look that only the two of them understood."Don't worry, I can handle the situation here. You need to get Laura to the hospital. Go!" Charles said.Lim nodded and made to move but Steve shouted behind him."I'm coming too!"Lim glared over his shoulder. "Suit yourself!" he said and got into the car that had just parked in front of him. Steve ran the rest of the distance and also jumped into the car before the driver pulled off.The atmosphere in the car was thick as the two of them faced opposite sides, never saying a word to the other.Steve could not stop blaming himself. He wanted to speak out but he didn't want to anger the devil that was beside him.Soon, t
Her hands were covered in blood.The world went silent as her eyes scanned the man in her arms. Her heart was dragging painfully down her throat and she thought she would pass out from the pain."Lim!" Laura screamed in horror.Instantly, the men pushed Marcus down on the floor with great force. They were red with anger, both at themselves for letting this happen and at Marcus. How dare a rat like him shoot at their boss in their presence!?Marcus couldn't believe he blocked the shot. The bullet wasn't aimed at Lim but at Laura. She was the target Marcus had planned to shoot but stupid Lim took the hit instead. Marcus was so stunned that, his body became numb. Even as Lim's men continued beating him, he couldn't feel a thing.Their plan was completely messed up!Thomas, on the other hand, couldn't do a thing but stare at his brother with pitiful eyes. Lim's men were kicking and punching Marcus. Blood seeped out of him yet no sound came out.Thomas couldn't do anything to help him. H
"Why don't you take a seat?" Marcus stated, motioning to the couch in the corner of the room, just across the bed.Thomas moved briskly to the side and took Lim's gun.Lim gritted his teeth as his eyes shifted to Laura. She was so scared, he could feel it in his bones. He knew she wanted to say something due to the movement of her eyes but she couldn't, because of the gag in her mouth.Lim's heart squeezed in pain. He felt like an erupting volcano, but he couldn't bring himself to that state, he had to stay calm for the safety of Laura.He composed himself and sat on the couch with his legs crossed. Trying to be in a character that would not show his anger."So, where should we start?" He asked them with a smirk.Marcus smiled and gestured to Thomas to handle the files. As Thomas messed with the papers, Lim's eyes moved over the room, that was when he noticed Brent, tied up and left sprawled on the bed. "Hmm..." Lim sighed and raised an eyebrow. His brothers must have had another pl
As soon as the call ended, a grin of excitement appeared on Marcus's lips. He was happy that everything was going according to plan.A few minutes from now, he would become the rightful CEO of Walter's occupation all thanks to the little dove he kidnapped.Speaking of the dove, he turned to look at the other side of the room where Laura was tied up on the bed hopelessly like a lamb.There was now a light in the room, enough for Laura to picture the faces of her kidnappers. She should have known that not all of Lim's family members liked him. But now it was too late, they had her.The smile on Marcus's face expanded. It was just amazing to watch fear and all crawl into the girl.He was grateful that she had come into Lim's life when she did because if it wasn't for her, they wouldn't have known how to get the mighty Lim to surrender."So what did he say?" Thomas, who was sitting on a couch with Brent by his side, asked his brother. Marcus turned to them with his hands in his pockets.
Lim got down from his car in a hurry and rushed into the mansion, ignoring the servant's greetings at the doorway. Charles strode behind him trying to keep up with his speed. "Laura!" Lim called as soon as he entered the living room.His heart was thumping and panic was already flowing in his veins. He didn't want to think the worst, but at this point it was inevitable."Laura!" He called again. Not caring that he was being extremely loud."Lau—" Before he could complete his words, his father stepped out of his room into the living room looking wild."Lim, what's going on?" Old Walter asked from the stairs. He was walking down with the support of his butler, Mr May."Where is my wife?" Lim snarled like a wounded snake. His voice was filled with authority and anger so thick it was like a volcano.Old Walter looked at him quizzically. What was he saying? Wasn't the girl home yet?"Laura took her leave in the morning. Isn't she home yet?" Old Walter asked as he went down to the last st
Lim tried almost ten times and yet, it still said the same thing. At this point, he couldn't put the feeling away, something was wrong."The line still says the same thing," Lim said worriedly. He had sweat all over his face from the pressure.Charles was having the same thoughts and as much as he tried to calm his friend, he couldn't bring up the right words. "Isn't Laura coming already?" Jasmine asked as she walked closer to them. Lim sighed and returned his phone to his trousers pocket. There was no time to waste, he needed to go to Walter's mansion and find out for himself what was happening."We're going to Walter's mansion!" Lim stated coldly and walked out of the room. His expression had changed to something so dark and scary that even Jasmine could feel the change in the atmosphere on her skin.Everywhere suddenly turned cold and it wasn't the good kind.She turned to Charles with a worried look. "Is everything okay? Why is Mr. Ice so cold?" She stared at Lim's retreating w